Speak to Lead

Speech & Interview Faux Pas: How to Avoid Mistakes When Speaking While Tired

Lots of elements can cause someone to make a faux pas while giving a speech or doing a media interview. Today let's look at one of those causes. One that increases the chance of making an error, increases the likelihood that you will be viewed as being defensive, and is self inflicted.

At a fund raising event in Richmond VA yesterday, Senator Barack Obama inflated the number of persons killed by tornadoes in Kansas by a factor of nearly 1,000. Twelve became 10,000.

One cause of the faux pas may simply have been that Obama is a senator, and senators speak of thousands, millions, and billions, not of ten or twelve.

But according to the Associated Press, later in the speech Obama appeared to realize his mistake. "There are going to be times when I get tired. There are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make a mistake."

The cue card should read: Tired? DANGER AHEAD.

Most of us are not under the pressures of a presidential primary campaign. Still there will be times when we will have to give a speech or do an interview when we are tired. How can we avoid errors and looking defensive? And is physical weariness the only type we have to guard against? Here are some steps you can take.

Great Question? Stupid Comment.

I've noticed there seems to be an increase in the number of interviewees who begin an answer with "That's a great (or excellent) question."

Well, maybe it was a great question, but saying so was a dumb response. (What's that you say? You've had media training and the trainer encouraged you to say that? For your sake, let's hope the trainer's other advice was a lot more accurate.)

Why is it dumb? Four reasons:

Public Speaking: Listen to Others

Recently I had the opportunity of hearing Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit speak. Although Griffith was the main speaker, he was preceded by three speakers from the organization he was addressing.
Many keynote speakers use the time someone else is presenting to review their notes. Others sit politely awaiting their turn. Griffith listened.
He began his speech by quoting a remark made by the first speaker and commenting on the insight and significance of the remark. He did the same for the second and third speakers. Then he tied their remarks into his theme.
This does three things:

1. The other speakers feel great. The "main attraction" that the audience has come to hear has recognized and validated what they said. What a wonderful compliment.
2. The audience feels great. The earlier speakers are more representative of the majority of the audience than the main speaker is. Complimenting those speakers indirectly compliments the audience.
   
3. The speaker comes across as a good guy. Even though he is a judge on what many people consider the second highest court in the land, Griffith demonstrates he values other people and connects to the audience.

Lesson: Listening is one of the most powerful ways to show respect, especially when it is demonstrated by referring to a specific comment the speaker has made. When you're not speaking, listen to what others are saying.

Non-Partisan Lessons from CPAC 2007

Earlier in the month I listened to 44 speakers over three days at the 34th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, DC. I went primarily because it allowed me to see and compare all of the 2008 Republican current and potential presidential nominees (minus John "I-don't-need-no-stinkin-conservatives" McCain) speaking to the same audience in the same format.

Not all of the 44 were presidential hopefuls, although at times it does seem there are that many. The other speakers covered a range of strategic and tactical issues, including big government, taxes, entitlements, health care, national security, etc.

This blog is--or at least attempts to be--non-partisan. So without discussing the political content of what I heard, what lessons about communicating did I notice? Here is one huge plus and three minor refinements:

 

Correcting Misspeak-Obama Provides an Example

Give enough speeches and eventually you will misspeak. And certainly presidential candidates give enough speeches. This past Sunday it happened to Senator Barack Obama.

At a campaign stop at Iowa State University, Obama said,

"We ended up launching a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged--and to which we now have spent $400 billion and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted."

Later on Sunday Obama issued a statement apologizing for his remark about the troops.

"I was actually upset with myself. Their sacrifices are never wasted; that was sort of a slip of the tongue as I was speaking."

Yesterday at a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Obama again apologized. He said he had intended to criticize the civilian leadership of the war, not the military.

"Even as I said it, I realized I had misspoken. It is not at all what I intended to say, and I would absolutely apologize if any (military families) felt that in some ways it had diminished the enormous courage and sacrifice that they'd shown."

So how did Senator Obama do in correcting his mistake?

Off the Record? Yeah Right!

I've long believed that "off the record" is a game you should play only if you are an experienced news source and know the reporter interviewing you. Even then, you're better off not saying anything you wouldn't mind seeing made public.

But if you are tempted to go off the record or on deep background, take a look at the media's playbook. In a recent post on his blog, PR/PA Ideas to Use, my friend Ernie Landante provides a link to the "Standards and Practices" Associated Press reporters are to follow, as well as his own approach when going off the record. (Ernie is an experienced news source, but notice how careful he is.)

Cicero's 3 Types of Orators

Okay! I know a lot of you were surprised that I missed celebrating Marcus Tullius Cicero’s 2113th birthday last week (January 3rd or 6th depending on which source you believe.). How could I overlook the greatest orator of ancient Rome?

Well, I hadn’t. It’s hard for me, as a speaker myself, to forget that Cicero’s career ended with his severed head and one hand being placed on the lectern where he had delivered many of his orations. It seems in Cicero’s case, his enemy, Marc Antony, wasn’t content with “lend me your ears.”

But while Ciceroing around the web, I discovered a